Jar top remover



July 24, 1934.

C. E. M NEMAR JAR TOP REMOVER Filed July 20, 1933 Patented July 24, 1934UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE scum.

This invention relates to devices for removing the tops or caps fromjars and particularly to a device for this purpose in the nature of aclamp adapted to be clamped upon the jar top so that ii the jar top maybe turned oil of the jar or otherwise removed.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a top removerof this kind which has a very large range of adjustment so that it maybe used to remove caps having a diameter of one-fourth of an inch up tofour and one-half inches in diameter or larger.

A further object is to provide a device of this character in which oneof the opposed jaws is loosely mounted so that it may conform readily tothe jar cap and so that this clamp jaw is, therefore, self-adjusting.

Another object is to provide a device with interchangeable orreplaceable jaws.

Another object is to provide a device of this character which may notonly be used for detaching jar tops, including screw caps and vacuum orcrimped covers, but may also be used for removing bottle caps and havingmeans for re- 25 moving covers of tin containers that are pressed onsuch as the covers on cans for containing paint or syrup.

Other objects will appear in the course of the following description.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:-

Figure 1 is an under side plan view of my jar cap remover;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view, the pawl and thejaw being in elevation;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary section on the line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Figure 1;

but showing a slight modification.

Referring to these figures, 10 designates one of the handles of myremover. This handle is U- shaped in cross section and is provided atits outer end with a head consisting of the laterally disposed plates 11connected along the back of the handle. speaking, approximatelyrectangular in form. The opposed handle 12 is also provided with a headat its outer end, this head consisting of the two opposed plates 13.These plates are somewhat triangular in form and the two plates at theedge of the head are right angular y b nt and brought together as at 14(see Figure 4) or these two plates may be joined by a block 15 Figure 5is a section on the same line as -i--4 These opposed plates are,generallyinserted between the plates and held in place by the rivets 16as shown in Figure 5. It is immaterial how these plates 13 are joined toeach other. One of the plates 13 has an offset at 1'1 as shown inFigures 1 and 4 and the other plate 00 is formed with an outwardlyprojecting hook shaped portion 18 below which there is an inwardlyextending flange 22 as shown in Figure 3. The head of the handle 10 isadapted to be inserted within the head-of the handle 12 in the 'manner68 shown in Figure 1 and in the sectional views.

The heads are held together by a pivot bolt 19 which extends through thetwo pairs of plates 11 and 13 and constitutes a pivot upon which thehandles may rock.

Extending through the head of the handle 10 and resting upon the closedbottom portion of this head is a bar 20 carrying at its outer end aclamping jaw and having one edge formed with ratchet teeth 21 as shownin Figure 2. The ex- 76 tremity of this bar is angularly bent at 23 asshown in Figure 3 and mounted upon the extremity of this bar is the jaw24, the shank of which is angularly bent with relation to the jaw andlies flat against the bar 20 and is slotted at 25 to receive theangularly bent lug 23. A rivet 26 passes through the base or shank ofthe jaw 24 and through the end of the bar and detachably holds this jawin place. The jaw is slightly curved,

as shown in Figure 2, and is formed with teeth to aid it in gripping thejar cap.

Coacting with the teeth 21 is a pawl 27 shown in Figure 2, this pawlhaving an ear 28 through which the pivot bolt 19 passes and carrying arearwardly projecting tongue or finger 29. One edge face of the pawl isrecessed at 30 and disposed in this recess is the bead 31 of a spring32, which. spring bears against the closed edge portion of the handle 12and urges the handle 12 away from the handle 10. This spring also urgesthe pawl 27 against the teeth 21. One half of the edge of this pawl istoothed as at 33 to correspond with the teeth 21. The remaining orforward portion of this edge face of the pawl is flat at 34 and bearsagainst the crests of the teeth 31 and constitutes a guide.

The forward corner of the pawl is rounded at 35 so that when the pawl israised, that is, shifted away from the teeth 21, this rounded part willconstitute a guide for the bar 20 so that the bar may have a rectilinearmovement.

The oilset portion 1'7 previously referred to is designed for thereception of the shank 36 of a jaw 37, the jaw being disposed at rightangles to the shank and having a curved toothed face 38 which confrontsthe curvedtoothed face of the jaw 24. In order to hold the jaw looselyin place within the pocket formed by the offset 17,

I provide the shank of the jaw with an opening 39 and provide the outerwall of the ofiset portion 1'7 with an inwardly extending lug 40.

I provide the shank of the jaw with an opening 39 and provide the outerwall of the offset portion 17 with the inwardly extending lug 40 whichprojects into the opening 39. The lug acts to retain the jaw within thepocket but allows the jaw a certain freedom of movement so that the jawis self -adjusting and will rock upon its curved inner face against thecurved edge of the offset portion 17 and thus adjust itself to the jartop, allowing the face of the jaw to clamp the jar top firmly in anyposition.

Preferably the ratchet bar 20 is formed with a chisel-shaped edge 41,this chisel-shaped edge being used for removing covers of tin containersthat are pressed on the body of the container, that is, covers of paintcans and syrup cans, the

'bar being withdrawn from the body of the device when so used.

The pawl 27 performs several functions. As will be seen, it engages thebar 20 for practically the entire length of the rectangular head ofhandle 10. The plane surface 34 on the edge of the pawl engages with thebar 20 when the teeth are locked. Thus the bar is held firmly in placein the trough of the U-shaped handle or head and thus the two jaws 24and 38 are kept in absolute alinement. By providing a plurality of teethupon the jaw, a safer lock is secured and wear on the teeth reduced.

When the pawl is in unlocked position, the heel 35 forms a guide to thebar 20 when it is moved in or out. It will be noted that the spring 32is double-acting in that it keeps the handles apart and at the same timeurges the pawl 27 into looking engagement with the teeth on bar 20. Theangular lug 22 shown in Figure 3 forms a support to the bar 20 when theclamping jaw 11 is advanced by closing the two handles. The angularflanges 14 in Figure 4 or the block 15 in Figure 5 limits the openingmovement of the handles. The closing movement is limited by the bottomof the U-shaped portion of handle 12 striking the edge 11 of handle 10.

In the use of this device, the jar is placed on the table and the jarcarrying bar 20 is pulled outward to any desired extent, the jaws 37 and24, of course, facing downward. The bar 20 is then disposed across thecenter of the cap or cover with the edge of the cap against the jaw 37and resting upon the small lip or extension of the head 13 of handle 10,which projects from under the jaw 37 on handle 12. Then the extensionbar is slid inward until the jaw thereon is firmly in contact with thecap. The handles are then grasped with the right hand and closed,thereby advancing the clamping jaw 38 until the cap is clamped tightlybetween the jaws. The jar is then grasped in the left hand and the capis unscrewed, using just enough pressure on the handles to preventslipping. As the clamping jaw on the handle 12 fits loosely between thetwo plates, it will adjust itself to the jar top and as the jawadvances, it will rock upon the curved edge of the offset 17, allowingthe face of the jaw to clamp the jar top firmly at all positions.

To use the hook 18 to remove bottle tops, the extension, that is, thebar 20 is pushed almost in and the handles closed tightly, and with thedevice in one hand and the bottle in the other rest the edge of the jawacross the top of the bottle cap and with the hook 18 under the edge ofthe bottle cap, pry upward until the cap is removed. If the extensionbar 20 is drawn further outward, the amount of extension beingdetermined by the diameter of the jar cover, the same means may be usedfor prying up covers of jars or other glass containers, having vacuumcovers that are crimpcd on, that is, pry up on the edge of the cap untilthe cap is loosened, turn the jar and repeat the operation if necessary,until the cap is entirely disengaged.

Attention is called to the fact that the jaw carried by the handle 12and the jaw carried by the bar 20 are of exactly the same form so thatthese jaws may be made in quantities and used indifferently either uponthe end of the bar 20 or upon the handle 2. It will be seen also that Ihave provided one pivot for the two handles and for the pawl and thatthe pawl has three functions, namely locking the bar 20 in its adjustedpositions, holding the jaws in alinement when the pawl is locked andalso guiding the bar 20 when the pawl is raised.

It will be obvious that the device may be made in a number of differentsizes and is capable of other uses than opening can tops.

I claim:-

1. An implement of the character described having two handles havinginterfitting heads pivoted to each other, one of the heads beingangular, the free end of the angular portion carrying a jaw movablelongitudinally of the other head in the general direction of the handlesupon relative movement of the handles, a longitudinal- 11 1y adjustablebar and extending in the general direction of the handles carried by thesecond named head, and a jaw carried thereby and confronting the firstnamed head.

2. An implement of the character described, including two handles havinghollow heads, each head being angularly disposed with relation to thecorresponding handle and one head fitting within the other head, one ofsaid heads being pivoted at its extremity to the other head at thejunction of the other head with the handle, the first named headcarrying a. jaw at its end remote from said pivot, a bar longitudinallymovable through said heads, extending in the general direction of thehandles and carrying a jaw confronting the first-named jaw, and meanscarried by one of said handles but independently movable with relationthereto for holding the bar in any adjusted positions.

3. An implement of the character described, including two handles havinghollow heads, each head being angularly disposed with relation to thecorresponding handle and one head fitting within the other head, one ofsaid heads being pivoted at its extremity to the other head at thejunction of the other head with the handle, the first named headcarrying a jaw, a bar longitudinally movable through said heads andcarrying a jaw confronting the first-named jaw, and means for holdingthe bar in any adjusted positions, including a pawl pivotally mountedupon the pivot point for said head, the longitudinally movable barhaving teeth with which said pawl is adapted to engage.

4. An implement of the character described, including two handles havinghollow heads, each head being angularly disposed with relation to thecorresponding handle and one head fitting within the other head, one ofsaid heads being pivoted at it extremity to the other head at thejunction of the other head with the handle, the first named headcarrying a jaw, a bar longitudinally movable through said heads andcarrying a jaw confronting the first-named jaw, means for holding thebar in any adjusted positions including a pawl pivotally mounted uponthe pivot point for said head, the longitudinally movable bar havingteeth with which said pawl is adapted to engage, and a singlespringurging the handles away from each other and urging the pawl intoengagement with the bar.

5. An implement of the character described including a member, a handlehaving a head pivoted to said member, a jaw carried loosely upon thelast named head for limited free movement in a plurality of directions,a bar longitudinally adjustable through and with relation to said headsand extending in the general direction of the handle, and having a jawconfronting said first named jaw, and means for holding said bar inadjusted relation.

6. An implement of the character described, including two handles, eachhaving an angularly disposed head, the head comprising two opposed'plates, the head of one handle fitting between the plates forming thehead of the other handle, a pivot pin extending through one corner ofthe inner head and through the outer head at the junction of the headwith the handle, the last named head having an oilset portion adjacentits free end, a jaw having a shank extending loosely in said offsetportion, means loosely engaging said shank with the offset portion ofthe head whereby the shank may freely shift into a plurality ofpositions, a bar extending longitudinally through the inner head andhaving ratchet teeth, the extremity of the bar being provided with a jawconfronting the first named jaw, and a pawl pivoted upon said pivot boltand engaging the ratchet teeth of the bar, the pawl having a handle, anda spring engaging said pawl and engaging against the handle of the outerhead and urging said handles apart and the pawl into engagement with theteeth on the bar.

7. An implement of the character described, having two handles havinginterfitting heads pivoted to each other, one of the heads carrying ajaw movable longitudinally of the other head upon movement of thehandles, a longitudinally adjustable bar extending through the heads,and a jaw carried upon the end of the bar and confronting thefirst-named jaw, said jaw on the bar having a shank disposed parallel tothe bar and notched at its extremity, the bar having a I lug extendinginto said notch, and a rivet passing through the shank of the jaw andthrough the bar.

3. An implement of the character described, including two handles havinginterfitting hollow heads pivoted to each other, one of the heads havingan offset portion, a longitudinally adjustable bar extending through theheads, the extremity of the bar having an angularly disposed lug, andjaws adapted to be disposed in confronting relation to each other, eachof said jaws having a shank angularly disposed with relation to the jawand having a notch in its extremity and having an opening through theshank, the shank of one jaw being adapted to receive the lug on the barand a pivot bolt holding the jaw in place, the shank of the other jawbeing adapted to be disposed in said offset portion, and the oil'setportion having a lug extending inward and loose- 1y engaging in the holethrough the shank whereby said jaws may be interchanged.

CORRY E. McNEMAR.

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